1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing methanol by the use of high-temperature nuclear heat generated by a high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR for short hereinafter), and a power generating plant using high-temperature nuclear heat generated by an HTGR.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) emitted by the plants of various industries is a key to solving the problem associated with global warming. Automobiles are responsible for about 20% of the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted in Japan. Therefore, it is important to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in automotive exhaust gas. As a means to cope with this situation, methanol has attracted public attention. Methanol is a promising substitute for gasoline because it gives rise to less carbon dioxide per calorific value and a very small amount of nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x). Methanol is conventionally produced from natural gas through its decomposition into hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO) by the steam reforming reaction and their synthesis into methanol with the aid of a copper catalyst.
The conventional process comprises, as FIG. 5 shows, the steps of decomposing natural gas or naphtha (as the feedstock) into hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) by a steam reforming reaction carried out in a reformer 01, compressing these gases with a compressor 02, supplying them to a methanol synthesis tower 03, in which the reaction of CO and H.sub.2 takes place to obtain crude methanol with the aid of a copper catalyst, separating the crude methanol with a high-pressure separator 04, and refining the crude methanol in a distillation column 05.
Synthetic methanol produced by the conventional process as mentioned above does not contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emitted by the industry, because when such methanol is combusted it gives rise to the same amount of carbon dioxide as natural gas, so long as it is produced from natural gas.
The present invention was developed with the foregoing in mind to provide a new process for producing methanol which meets recent environmental requirements.